As America seems to turn more and more health conscious the focus has spread from what we put on or in our bodies (food, personal care, and apparel and shoes) to how we accessorize. Various accessories billed as “vegan friendly” are popping up everywhere, one of the most popular being wallets and handbags. While we know that being a vegan means you don’t eat meat, dairy, or any animal byproducts, classifying an accessory as vegan means that it doesn’t use any animal components. In other words, it’s fake.
Vegan accessories have become a boon for retailers. Whereas once upon a time a retailer might have had to describe an inexpensive wallet as being made of pleather (made from a Polyurethane film), leatherette, or the more ambiguous “man-made leather”, now they can bill it as “vegan” and instantly the wallet becomes a must-have “leather-free” and “cruelty-free” item. A vegan wallet may not last as long as one made of genuine leather, but costs a fraction of the real thing and doesn’t come with the guilt!
One note of caution: remember when shopping for vegan accessories that “leather-free” and “cruelty-free” does not also mean “environmentally conscious”. Vegan accessories that try to imitate leather use instead plastics, which contain petroleum and natural gas. Hey, you can’t have it all!

[Above photo features Espe’s adorable vegan-friendly wallet. Find this and other vegan accessories at Soho AccessoriesTweet